


Tessellate

by neatmonster



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Affairs, Alternate Universe, Angst and Feels, Beaches, Cheating, Child Death, Drama, Drug Dealing, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Family Issues, Grief/Mourning, Guns, Hurt/Comfort, Infidelity, Lies, Love, Masturbation, Original Character(s), Out of Character, POV Alternating, Resentment, Romance, Semi-Public Sex, Smut, Summer Vacation, The Punisher References, sexual harassment at work, underage flirting implied
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-04-12 11:17:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19130959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neatmonster/pseuds/neatmonster
Summary: The Castle family leaves for Montauk as soon as the summer begins. It’s been a long time since they’ve spent a summer all together. Maria’s parents invited them for vacation to their house. Frank and Maria’s relationship is not as strong as it was, resentment and old wounds might finally tear apart their marriage.Karen is on the verge of breaking down, she can’t stand anyone in her family anymore. She had to leave her job as a reporter due to unexpected circumstances, now writing doesn’t feel like her anymore. As she tries to find herself again she has to work at The Lobster Roll.When Karen and Frank meet, the attraction is imminent, bad decisions on both sides will lead to more problems in their respective marriages.





	1. Frank

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU based on the show The Affair. I’ve taken inspiration for a handful of scenes from the first season and adapted them to fit the story. I kept the Lockhart family mainly because of Cole Lockhart, who is played by [Joshua Jackson](https://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjE16K5mO_iAhWmx4UKHWRCBg4QFjABegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FJoshua_Jackson&usg=AOvVaw1lg84S_rsVC8qQz19SNfkB), an actual sweetheart. 
> 
> Most mentioned locations: [The Lobster Roll](https://i.imgur.com/DhcsRAq.jpg), [Karen's Beach House](https://i.imgur.com/CWZwxko.jpg), [DeLaurentis House](https://i.imgur.com/C8VPK6L.jpg), [The Lockhart Ranch](https://i.imgur.com/UfZzvcO.jpg).
> 
> Maria's parents dream cast: Helen DeLaurentis ([Sally Field](https://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiAxMOhme_iAhV08OAKHd-nB9sQFjABegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSally_Field&usg=AOvVaw1EXVUPVoxlp-6OPzDNNZWh)) - Martin DeLaurentis ([Jeffrey DeMunn](https://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi3-67CmO_iAhVpDWMBHT39BlsQFjABegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FJeffrey_DeMunn&usg=AOvVaw2K_dSg35I9B3_e9_9MacvQ)).
> 
> Fair warning: everyone cheats and there's a lot OOC things.

Fast stomps down the stairs resound in the first floor of the house, as Frank Junior descends with a water gun in hand, pretending his at war with ghost soldiers that he brought to life out his imagination. He jumps her older sister Lisa, who is laying on the couch, pointing at her face he presses the trigger a few times squirting water all over her head and some part of the couch. He rabbits before she has time to react.

“You better run asshole!” she yells in annoyance wiping her eyes.

“Hey! Language!” Maria yells at her from the kitchen.

Taking a good look around the house Maria is making sure everything is off in the kitchen and all the windows and doors are locked.

Outside, in the driveway Frank finishes loading all their bags in the minivan and secures their younger daughter, Maggie, in her car seat.

Once everyone is out, Maria locks the house and gets on the front passenger seat as Frank adjusts the mirror. On the back Lisa seats as far as she can from her brother and puts her earbuds on. Frankie is next to Maggie and he watches a cartoon movie with her on his ipad.

The family is off to Montauk for the summer.

Frank is quieter than usual on the drive, as he is already dreading having to stay with his in-laws for eight weeks. To say their relationship is tense is an understatement.

As they enter the town everyone is hungry so they make a stop at The Lobster Roll for lunch.

At their booth a lovely waitress with a yellow uniform with hints of white in the collar and apron takes their orders and bring them some drinks.

Frank pulls a drawing sheet for kids and draws cute little animals on the paper with their adorable five year old.

Maria and Frankie talk about the books he has to read for the summer and they share a few laughs.

Once all the plates are on the table everyone starts eating, except for Lisa, whose sole attention lays on her phone. Ignoring the food after complaining about everything in the menu and eventually picking an egg white omelette, since she has decided to eat less calories.

“Christ sake Lis could you put your phone for a second an eat?” Frank tells his teenage daughter who is clearly going through a phase.

Defiantly, she rolls her eyes and she tucks the phone in her pocket.

A muffled cough from Maggie alerts the table. She’s choking.

Frank puts her chest and head forwards and gently pats her on the back to help her spit the piece of food.

She doesn’t so he tries a bit harder. Maria starts to panic and both Lisa and Frankie stand up scared for their little sister.

“Help! Please!” Maria pleads at the restaurant with tears in her eyes.

The waitress that took their order quickly approaches the table, ordering Frank to turn her over, acting fast the waitress crouches down and hits the little girl on the back. 

Maggie spits a little piece of bread that was stuck on her throat and Frank turns her up, nestling her on his chest making sure she’s okay. Maria sobbing wraps her arms around them.

After all the commotion around the table everyone gets back to their food.

For a few minutes Frank and Maria put all the attention on the youngest of the Castles. She bounces back quickly, laughing and drawing again.

Maria holds her hand tight on her chest, almost unable to breathe, running every scenario on her mind. Frank notices and reaches for her hand across the table. “She’s fine baby” as he caresses her knuckles with his thumb.

 

**

 

Frank goes to the bathroom and sees the waitress that helped them with Maggie rushing out the staff door.

Her hair is blonde, she’s as tall as Frank and the light yellow of her uniform makes her skin look paler that it is. He sees her sniffling and rubbing her eyes with two fingers.

“Ma’am, you okay?” 

“I-I’m fine- fine. Your daughter?” stammering, her back moves to lean against the wall.

“Is that what you’re- please, she’s a kid, can’t take your eyes out of them.” he tries to keep it light, “thank you- I didn’t get the chance before.”

“Yeah- it was nothing,” she looks down, fidgety her hands straighten her apron.

“No- no it was, it was amazing. Are you okay?” he insists.

She hesitantly nods, “hard day.”

As he extends his hand he states “I’m Frank.” She softly squeezes back and tells him her name, “Karen.” 

“Right, Karen,” as he points at the red name-tag that’s pinned on her left shoulder, “you sure you okay?”

“Yeah- I gotta get back to work.” 

 

**

 

The car arrives at the DeLaurentis home with grandma walking out to the driveway to greet them. Lisa leaves the car first and hugs her. Helen, Maria’s mother, makes a remark at how thin she’s gotten. She praises for it and Maria gets angry at her encouragement.

The rest of the children follow as Frank gets the bags.

The house is huge, it’s has been remodeled recently and it has plenty of room for everyone, with a pool and a sweet private beach access. Maria’s parents made their fortune out of her father’s successful career as an author. Several of his books have been adapted to the screen. He likes to flaunt about it every time he gets and he’s not shy about it.

After dinner, everyone is disperses around the house. Maria, Helen and her maid, Miranda, go over some details for the party their hosting this weekend to celebrate with some friends her father’s latest book.

Lisa has invited a friend over and they’re on her room talking and listening to music.

Frank Junior has been forced by Martin, Maria’s father, to learn how to play chess. He tries he’s best out of respect for his grandfather but ultimately giving up after some harsh words during the game. 

Upstairs Frank tucks little Maggie to sleep. He reads her Lisa’s favorite book when she was little and thinks about how she doesn’t really seem to care about him anymore. No matter how hard he tries.

He bumps into Frankie running to his room. “Hey man, what’s up?”

“I hate grandpa- ” he states complaining to his dad, “why did we even came here this summer? Why couldn’t we-”

Frank places a hand on his shoulder “I know little man, I know.” He tries to think of something reassuring to say to his son, “listen- it’ll be just a few weeks. We don’t have to stay here everyday- we can go fishing, there’s a ranch not very far, we could go camping or drive to the lighthouse. Whatcha think?” he bumps softly his fist into Frankie’s chin.

“All of the above,” he says excited drawing a smirk.

Frank raises his hand for high-five, “my man” and his son hits it. Followed by a quick hug he leaves a kiss on his head as he goes to his room.

By the pool Frank relaxes for a moment, drinking a beer and admiring the stunning views to the beach.

“That boy of yours-” Martin says from behind, “- has no manners.”

Frank shakes his head annoyed without even turning to look at him. He smacks his lips after sipping his beer and tries not to bite back.

“Respect Frank. You have to teach it as much as earn it,” he says pouring a glass of whiskey from the outside bar area.

Unbelievable, not even a few hours and he’s already lecturing the whole fucking house. 

Frank has decided to pace himself, he promised to Maria.

Martin keeps going “You, as a soldier. You understand it, you respect your officials and follow orders, am I wrong?” 

“Thing is Martin, life is not a war- no, not like this. We’re on vacation, you have no right to tell my son how to behave on vacation. He understands respect, he has it for me, for his mother and sisters- something you don’t have, you haven’t even _earned_ from me.” he firmly says standing his ground.

 _Here it goes._ He thinks.

“See, right there,” Martin grins pointing at him with the glass in hand, “he got all his barbaric mannerisms from you. I’m not sure how he did, since he has barely seen you in thirteen years. A fine example of nature over nurture,” and he drinks his whiskey.

He leaves the conversation like that, he knows is pointless to argue with this man, who thinks he’s entitled to do or say whatever he wants because he has money.

 

**

 

Later in their room, Frank finds himself between Maria’s arms, his body hovering over her. Their eyes never meet , he shoves his face on her neck as she digs her chin on his shoulder, curling one arm around his torso as she moves the other between them to reach for her clit.

It feels almost mechanical, no caress in one another. Only a few kisses here and there. As the pleasure builds up, she presses her knees to his sides letting out a moan on his collarbone. Pacing himself for a moment till she catches her breath, then she pulls him harder against her until he finishes.

Rolling onto his side, they lay there for a couple of minutes before speaking out.

“What did you say to my father?” She asks with a bit of annoyance in her tone.

He turns his head to hear only to mumble, “Chris sake. Now? Couldn’t do it before-”

“Frank,” she interrupts, “it’s his house, you don’t have to like him but just-”

“Just what? Let him insult my son, _our son!_ , like he just did?” he replies standing up and angrily yanking some sweatpants on. “Talkin’ shit ‘bout how to raise them every chance he gets. You may be okay with that- but I’m not. And your mother- and Lisa?” flaring his nostrils he shakes his head, “one day we’re gonna sit to talk about that.”

Maria sits on the edge of the bed grabbing the shirt from the floor to wear, “Frank- I’m not okay with either- but they help us all the time.”

“Not by choice-” he bites back looking around to spot his shoes by the door to the balcony, “you’ve made it clear plenty of times I don’t get to make any decision in this family-” 

She sighs and the calm tone she was carrying so far is gone, “That’s because you’re never home Frank!”

“I am now. I’m not going anywhere. Is it too late for you?” he wonders disappointed, mostly at himself.

“No- not at all. I just feel like you were closer when you weren’t here.”

He hangs his head down trying to understand what she’s saying. He does. He saw it in her face, the excitement of coming back it was way more powerful than any fear when he had to leave.

“Maybe- I was thinking-” gathering his thoughts he stutters for a beat, tapping his thumb on the dresser “-maybe I-I should take Billy’s offer- you know?”

“You just said you’re not leaving! Are you really gonna be that asshole that can’t even stand one day- one day Frank! -with your family?” choking in her own words, holding back a few tears she keeps going “-you know what, do what you gotta do Frank, when it comes to you, you’re the only one who makes the decisions,” leaving him without words she goes to their on suite bathroom. Those tears she was holding start rolling down her face.

 

**

 

Almost midnight, unable to sleep Frank goes out. He strolls by the ocean, picking a few pebbles and stopping along the way to see how far he can throw them.

In the distance, he sees a small group gathered around a bonfire. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and keeps walking close to the water.

On the darkness of the beach, only lighted with a half moon and a far away lamp post that barely reaches, he makes a silhouette of a woman sitting on the sand with a blanket around her, with her gaze fixed on the ocean and far away from the fire. As he passes by he wishes her good night.

She breaks the stare from the water as he cuts in front of her, jumping scared she tightens the blanket around her. 

“Didn’t mean to scare you,” as he friendly puts his hands up slowly indicating he’s not a threat. 

She nods and they both take a long look at each other realizing she’s the waitress from this morning and he is the father of the little girl she helped.

“Are you following me?”

“No ma’am, I was just walking,” he says politely.

She grabs a pack of smokes from under the blanket and offers one to Frank. 

Frank waves his hand in one motion negating he does, “I don’t smoke anymore.”

“Yeah- me neither. I just felt like I needed one after today,” Karen shares and lights one up.

“Come on all the cool kids are doing it,” she playfully says offering the one she just lit up.

He chuckles and sits next to her picking the cigarette from her fingers, “you’re a bad influence, you know?” he matches her tone and takes a puff. 

“Are you with-” tilting his head to the left he points at the people around the bonfire.

She nods and lights another cigarette for her, “you here for the summer?”

“That’s the plan,” as he looks forwards the water forming waves just a few feet from them.

“As we say, welcome to the end of the world-” then she thinks for a second, wanting to say his name, she turns her head to him “- I’m sorry I forgot your name,” then she covers her mouth hiding an embarrassed smile.

He builds a smirk in the corner of his lips, “Frank.”

“Welcome to the end of the world, Frank.”

He exhales and takes another puff, “Yeah, no shit- it’s beautiful though. You live here all year?”

She gives a shy nod and takes a quick glance at the bonfire where her friends are, far away on their left.

Frank puts out his cigarette in the sand without finishing it and leans back on his elbows. “Do you always work at the restaurant?”

She shakes her head, “only for a few weeks now- was my first job when I was 16.”

“What did you do?” He asks genuinely interested.

She leans back to match his posture, “I was a reporter. You?”

“Marine. Then construction here and there- now I work in insurance.”

“Yeah, I can see you doing that,” she finishes her smoke with one last long puff.

He turns to her leaning on one elbow, searching for her eyes, “What you did this morning- how did you know?”

She quickly pulls away from his gaze, “my grandma- she was a nurse. Saw her do it a couple of times.”

“I could never thank you enough,” he places a hand on her forearm.

Karen follows his move by putting her hand above his, “you don’t have to,” then she rolls to her side, leaning on her forearm to face him as the blanket falls off her shoulder.

“Yeah- yeah I do,” smiling he catches her eyes and he holds the gaze up until she looks away for a moment, only to come back with her hand upon his and sliding it up to his bicep out of nowhere.

_What are you doing? _he thinks as he closes the distance with his head. A moment confusion takes over and he finds himself settling his forehead against hers.__

__She bites her lip as he battles inside what to do next. Unintentionally, he starts nuzzling his nose with hers and tilts his head to kiss the corner of her mouth. Feeling a tiny bump on the area where a beauty mark is formed very close to her mouth. He brushes his lips tenderly against the small bump._ _

__She moves her hand up to his chin guiding his face and nibbles his lower lip a few times before entering his mouth._ _

__The kiss is slow and sweet for a couple of minutes. Then she moves her body closer to him, grasping his arm tighter. She swings a leg over his lap while he sits up and wraps his arms around her waist._ _

__The blanket is abandoned on their side, leaving her with a loose thin strapped dress._ _

__As their mouths become desperate with want the kissing gets sloppier._ _

__Noticing the bulge in his pants behind the fabric of her underwear, Karen puts her hands on his face stopping the kiss, making him look into her eyes while she rolls her hips slowly against him._ _

__He grasps her tights, ruining his hands softly up to her hips, he notices goosebumps all over her legs. His eyes stay on hers as he digs his fingers on her silk skin._ _

__Her hands clasped on the back of his neck while she moves, his mouth goes to her neck and he licks the curve up to her ear where he sucks her earlobe as one of his hands goes up inside her dress searching for her breast, he carefully caresses one nipple with his thumb as she reacts pressing harder and gasping at the sensation._ _

__“Fuck,” he groans between kisses followed by a muffled groan on her neck._ _

__She pushes him onto his back on the sand and she keeps grinding until she’s there with him laying on top, catching her breath as he laces his fingers with her hair with one hand resting the other on her waist._ _

__Laying on her stomach on top of him with one hand on his chest and her mouth lined with his chin she kisses his jaw a couple times before settling her head on her hand._ _

__Closing his eyes, Frank finds peace for a minute before snapping out whatever the hell just happened and nervously saying, “I-I gotta go.”_ _

__With no words she stands up and brushes the sand off her legs and shakes the blanket before wrapping it again around her shoulders._ _

__Frank gets up and straighten his pants, then he pulls his hoodie right, with no share goodbye she swipes the sand from his back before walking away._ _

__Guilt sinks in on the way back. Trying to justify this somehow in his mind, he can’t find any explanation for what he just felt, other than he met a beautiful woman that made him feel different for a few minutes._ _


	2. Karen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, there are several mentions to a child's death but the scene is not written.

This isn’t like every other morning to Karen. She wakes up not long after dawn, opening her eyes to her husband’s bareback, only to quickly close them again at the sight of the big tattoo on it. 

She goes to the kitchen and grabs an apple. Slicing it up with a big knife she manages to nip her ring finger, drawing a few drops of blood in the counter. “Shit,” mumbling, she wraps it with a rag.

In one of the drawers she find band-aids with funny patterns, she opens the box and lets one fall out with Captain Hook drawn on it. She doesn’t think too much of it and just cleans the wound and rolls it around her finger.

She picks up the plate with the apple slices and goes back to the bedroom, sitting next to Cole, who is still soundly asleep, with her back against the headboard she eats the fruit.

Cole turns around and bumps into her leg as he wakes up. “Mornin’ K.”

“Mornin’ C,” she greets back with her mouth full.

Cole lets out a wide yawn before rolling up to sit next to her, “You ready for today?”

Between bites she shakes her head.

“Karen- let’s try to have a good day,” sounding almost patronizing on how she has to feel on this particular day.

Turning her head to her bedside table, she sets her eyes on the pack of smokes and thinks of the night before with Frank. She doesn’t think much of the impromptu grinding that she started but only on how sweet it was when he brushed his lips against the mole on her lips, the tingle she felt when he slipped his hand under her dress and how bitter they both tasted after sharing a smoke. The rest it was just a need to fulfill right on that spot.

She doesn’t feel guilt, not about that. Embarrassed maybe, her cheek fluster at the thought of seeing him again.

For a moment she forgets about everything else, as soon as she feels Cole’s hand grasping her chin and moving her head to where their eyes meet, making her come back from the memory. She grabs his wrist as he attempts to lean in for a kiss, she pulls away roughly and leaves the bed.

She starts to get ready for work, first taking a shower. After, with only a towel around her body and damp hair she sits on the back porch looking at the shore and lights up a cigarette. She’s not really a smoker but the last few weeks, leading to this day, it has made her pick it up again to calm her nerves. When she’s done, she puts on denim shorts and a white tank top with blue flowers on the edge.

Cole has secured his surfboard to the top of the car. Before leaving, he goes to her and informs her that they’re having dinner today at his mom’s. “She wanted to make something special and I told her it was okay. She’s cooking lasagna,” he says before kissing her in the temple and leaving.

She doesn’t respond to his words, she just gives a reluctant nod.

A second after, it hits her. She runs to the front before he leaves and yells “Cole!”

He turns back to her while opening the car door, “Yeah?”

“Be careful,” she says worried. “I always am,” he responds.

 

**

 

At the restaurant, she’s doing her side work with her friend Jane, another waitress at The Lobster Roll. They used to share apartment when she lived in the city and she loves having Jane back for the summer.

Their boss, Oscar, as usual comes down to nag them a bit before work. She’s known him since they were kids, he’s only a couple of years older than her and he can’t stop taunting her every chance he gets and remind her how they made out once when they were teenagers.

She can’t help but roll her eyes at his gross remarks when he’s not looking. If she didn’t need the job she would throw the awful yellow uniform at his face. At some point she even flips him off to his back for asking her why she doesn’t smile more.

The day goes slow, and she appreciates this time for a couple of days the town will be filled with tourists and she will have her hands full almost every minute. 

She gets lost on her thoughts a few times and Jane has to pinch her to make her snap out of it. “Where’s your head girl?”

While wiping a table she looks at her and shrugs.

After finishing her shift she changes back into her clothes and ties her hair in a half bun.

 

**

 

In the afternoon, she takes a ride on her bike, she had a place in mind but as she passes by she doesn’t feel ready so she keeps pedaling up to the lighthouse. Walking by the ocean she picks a couple of small white rocks from the shore and tucks them in her pocket.

There is no way around it, ridding back she stops at the cemetery to visit her son’s grave.

She traces the letters of his name, Gabriel Lockhart.

With a book and a two rocks in her hands she kneels down trembling and sits on her heels near the headstone. She places the rocks on the smooth surface. “Hello, munchkin,” she says out loud.

Tears fill her eyes, “Do you know what today is?” then they’re start rolling through her cheeks, “It’s your birthday.”

She opens the book on her lap, “Where were we-” and wipes the tears with a hand drawing a sad smile on her face.

“His sobs woke Wendy-” she reads from a page, “-and she sat up in bed. She wasn’t alarmed to see a stranger crying on the nursery floor. She was only pleasantly interested-” She can barely read the words.

She chokes a few times and her voice breaks, “ _Boy_ she said courteously, _Why are you crying?_ ” her shaky hand covers her face and for a moment she allows herself to fully cry before reading three more pages.

 

**

 

She knows she’s late as she arrives the Lockhart ranch where Cole and his family have already started dinner without her.

When she enters Cole throws one of the coldest stares he’s ever given her. The rest of the family welcomes her with open arms. Especially her mother-in-law, Cherry, that fixes a plate for her in seconds.

Cole has three brothers, Caleb, Hal and Scotty. They’re all at the table along with Hal’s wife, Mary Kate. 

They share a few laughs but Karen stays mostly quiet, scared of her thoughts. Part of her wants to runaway and don’t look back but she doesn’t feel strong enough to do that. She hates that she has to hear stories about her son. It’s still feels too soon for her, it’s been nearly a year since he passed, and it has not been an easy one. 

After dinner, she sits on the porch with Mary Kate who has decided to learn how to read tarot cards.

She’s throwing them for Karen in a small glass table where she’s also lit a candle. As she turn the first card, The Devil in reverse, Mary Kate has to go through her book to read the meaning for she doesn’t know all of them yet.

“The reversed devil calls on you to confront your inner fears and anxieties,” Mary Kate reads in an ominous tone “-to free yourself from the chains that bind you. It can also appear when you’re going into your deepest, darkest places. You might have thoughts fantasies, addictions, or habits that you don’t want others to know because you feel ashamed.”

Karen doesn’t think too much of it since she doesn’t believe in this stuff anyway, but part of what she said feels familiar, tucking her chin down she tries to hide her face, scared that she or anyone else might read what she’s thinking. 

A second card. The Page of Cups upright.

She glances as the card, “Is that a child?” 

“No- it’s a messenger,” Mary Kate knows this one, “it’s inviting you to trust your intuition, to keep your mind open to new opportunities and ideas.”

“Hey,” Cole interrupts “I loaded your bike in the car- you ready to go?”

 

**

 

When they arrive, another car is blocking their driveway. It’s a friend of Cole’s. She backs out leaving the path for them to enter and exit the car with a sweater in hand that she hands to Cole. “You left it a the beach today.”

Karen leans on the side of their car, “Hi, Jocelyn.”

“Hey, Karen. Missed you at the bonfire last night,” she smiles at her.

“Bet you did,” she responds curtly.

Cole throws at her another of those stares that she’s been seeing more frequently. As she has been more impatient with him.

“Okay, well. It was nice to see you,” she waves politely before entering her car.

“Thank Joce,” he tells her looking back at her, “See you tomorrow.”

Jocelyn leaves and they both stand in the driveway.

“Joce?” she’s asks annoyed at something she might be wrongly picking up, “fuck her if you want but don’t make me watch.”

Cole paces in front of her about to throw a fit. Ultimately slamming his hand on the car and yelling, “What do you want from me Karen?”

“Don’t do that,” her voice shakes.

“Why?”

“Because you’re scaring me,” she yells hoarsely, “that’s why.”

“I’m scaring you?!” with a loud tone still and a humorless grin on his face, “I’m scaring you!”

“Yes,” she mutters with tears in her eyes.

Not backing up he continues yelling “I’ve done every fucking thing you’ve asked me, Karen! I’ve read all the books- we went to a therapist- I went to a fucking priest!”

She places her hand on his chest and tears roll down her face, “I know- I know.”

“I’m trying - I fucking am-” he lowers his voice, “I woke up every morning with his face in mind too.”

Nodding once and keeping her head down, “I’m sorry- It just- It hurts so much.”

With his hand on the back of her head he brings her close to his chest, “I know it does, baby”, she wraps her arms around his torso holding tight, “make it stop, please,” she pleads.

He doesn’t know how either, he just caresses her back as tears run down his face as well.

 

**

 

Next morning goes easier on both, even after almost no sleeping at all.

Cole is bringing Karen up to his lap, where he’s sitting on his heels as they’re both naked, she sinks on him. He’s kissing her shoulder and grabbing her hips by the curve of her ass to help her match his rhythm.

She keeps a hold of his shoulders under his arms, unable to focus on her needs or his, she keeps her eyes on a dent on the wall’s paint. Thinking she’ll fix it one of these days but she never does.

Cole grunts loudly after his release, as she closes her eyes and winces at the hard grasp of Cole on her flesh. Once his body goes limp she pulls away and rolls to her side of the bed.

He curls up behind her and reaches for her inner thigh wanting to give her the same release. Instead, she grabs his hand and tucks it with hers below her cheek, “just hold my hand.”

Today is her day off so she stays in bed for a little longer while Cole as usual goes surfing before work.

She begins her morning a bit later with a few chores, she first picks up the check from the restaurant and then she rides to the pier to pick fresh fish from Jack.

That’s not a regular delivery since the Lockharts not only make their money in the ranch but also have a side illegal business that she’s been accomplice for quite a long time. She makes the drop at the station where his brother-in-law Caleb works.

After, she goes to the farmer’s market to help Mary Kate selling jam. 

The sun is hitting hard today as she’s laying some samples in their booth for customers to taste, a little girl approaches the table. “Hi, would you like to try one?” Karen fondly smiles.

“I know you,” the little girls says. Not seconds after Frank is taking the girl’s hand as Karen’s face blushes and her eyes filled with worry.

“Hi-” Frank says fighting back a smile.

“Captain Hook!” Maggie spots the band-aid on Karen’s finger, “Look daddy Captain Hook.”

Karen can help but smile as Frank looks down on Maggie, “Yeah, we have those at home too, right?”

“I was asking her if she wanted to try one,” gesturing at the plate with samples that she’s set up.

Maggie looks up to her dad “Daddy can I have one?”

Frank nods taking his sunglasses off, “What do you have?”

Karen lists all the flavors and Maggie asks for blueberry, but Karen also gives her another two samples to try along with that one. They end up buying five jars.

Her gaze follows as they leave, and Frank looks back for a second, “Do you know him?” Mary Kate asks standing right beside her attending to another client.

“No- not really. They were at the restaurant the other day.”

“Well, he must really like you to spend all that cash in jam” her sister-in-law jokes.

Karen clears her throat and looks away placing a few more samples to the table as a smile illuminates her face for a minute.

“How was pick up?” Mary Kate asks, referring to their other business.

“Fine- just- Caleb being fucking Caleb,” she says wiping the smile off.

“Left the door open again, huh?”

“As the train was arriving, I mean, how many times do we have to tell him.”

They keep the banter as the keep making a few more sales. The ranch is not enough for the family right now, it barely generates income in the winter so they take every job opportunity they can.

Karen is just now picking up the slack, she spent months without working after her son died and now, still barely functioning , she can’t afford the luxury of not working in the summer.

 

**

 

They both go to the ranch to have lunch to find Cherry, the matriarch, going up and down the house cleaning up some stuff from the rooms and the attic. “I was thinking of changing one of the rooms to your likin’” she looks to Karen.

“How’s so?”

“Cole told me- maybe when you’re ready again to have a baby, you could stay here for a while, you don’t have to do everything on your own again.”

Karen controls herself, she likes Cherry, she knows she has good intentions but still feels like they’re treating her like she was not capable of taking care of her son.

Out of respect she keeps her mouth shut and just vaguely nods.

Later she receives a call from her friend Jane, asking her to go catering in the evening at a private party. She refuses at first but as soon as everyone starts arriving to the house, every inch of her body is pulling her to go anywhere else, so she accepts the offer just to have an excuse to go.

She goes directly to Jane’s, who lends her one of her dresses she uses for events like this. The dress is black and one shoulder, and a bit too short for Karen’s liking as she is taller than her friend. Jane plugs her curling iron to style some curls on Karen’s long hair, then pins a couple of strands on the sides. “Gorgeous,” Jane tells her as she blushes.

They leave for the party in Jane’s car.

“A launch party for the author, DeLaurentis, you remember him right?”

And Karen nods, pulling down the dress a few times as she feels a bit uncomfortable in it.

When they arrive to the house the woman in charge drills them on what each of them have to do, even though they’ve both catered things like this before the pay attention for the newbies.

Karen is in charge of the drinks. Graciously she walks around the patio where everyone is gathered with a tray of drinks, ignoring the annoying dress, she hands them around tables and goes back for more. 

On her second round, she bumps her elbow against someone’s back. Luckily, the tray was empty and she manages to keep a hold of it without leaving it to fall. “Sorry,” she apologizes turning around.

“It’s okay honey,” a kind voice says. She looks around that other table and she sees Frank with a few other people. Her face goes blank and Maria asks her “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sure- I gotta get some more,” she says putting the tray flat on her hand.

“Wait, how do I know you?” an older woman at the table says. Before she can respond the woman keeps going with a sad tone, “Oh you poor thing, I saw your picture in the paper. I’ve been wondering what happened to you.”

Karen just shakes her head pressing her lips together.

She was on the Montauk paper, she hated that article about the young couple who lost a little boy. 

“I gotta keep working” she responds curtly and leaving for the kitchen.

 

**


	3. Frank

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I failed to mention before that Lisa is 16 and Frank Jr. is 13.
> 
> A couple of scenes from the previous chapter overlap with one and we get to see them from Frank's point of view in a quick rehash.

Final touches for the party are being thoroughly detailed by Helen with the help of her granddaughter Lisa. She sends Maria and Frank to pick up some flowers from the farmer’s market to arrange as centerpieces.

On the drive, they bring Frankie and Maggie along. Already on the road, the little girl spots a ranch with horses and immediately yells “Horsey!” at the sight of it.

Maria explains how she used to ride there when she was little and promise her to stop on the way back to see if she can pet one or even get some lessons.

As Frank wonders with Maggie checking out the different booths, she gets quite taken with one in particular that is offering free jam samples.

His heart almost jumps out at the sight of Karen behind it. As he keeps his head down they exchange few little words, focusing on Maggie that is loving the samples. They end up leaving with a few jars and as the walk away he decides to look over his shoulder only to find Karen smiling back.

As promised, back in the car they stop at The Lockhart Ranch. A young man on the desk introduce himself as one of the owners, Scotty, Cole’s youngest brother. He sets up Maggie with Hal, one of the brothers, and he takes her to pick a horse.

Frankie has seen a sign of ‘Ranch Hand Wanted for Summer’ and asks his parents if he can do it. They reluctantly agree as for he’s still young but Frank knows he needs an outlet for the summer and sees no harm in learning about horses.

“My brother Cole is in charge of that. I think he’s around somewhere, let me check-” Scotty informs them.

He goes around the back and brings Cole with him, “Hey folks.”

They explain that Frankie wants to be a hand even though he has never worked on a ranch or a farm, Cole suggest him to stay a couple hours to see how he’d do and then he will decide. 

While he shows him how to take care of the horses Frank and Maria walk around the property and stop at the fence to watch Maggie completely adoring the horses.

Maria is leaned on the fence in her forearms with her hands clasped over, eyes on Maggie who is learning with an instructor about the animals. Frank gets closer to her and puts his arm on her lower back, “Hey babe.”

The haven’t talked much since the other night and when they do is to talk about something else completely.

“Hey,” she responds looking over her shoulder.

Nervously gazing between her eyes and the ground, hiding all the other things he also feels guilty about he intents to apologize, “I’m sorry- about what I said the other night. I didn’t- I’m not going anywhere, not again, I made my choice and I don’t regret it.”

Listening to his words she places a hand on his face, “I know Frank, I never doubted you or your decisions and I’m sure you don’t doubt mine.”

“I don’t, of course I don’t, babe, “ sighing at the regret of missing a lot of things when he was away he keeps going, “What you’ve done with the kids, it’s all yours, I don’t think I could have done better.”

With a kind smile on her face, “I think you would have. Both of us, they turned out how they were supposed to,” she reassures him. “Come here,” she pulls him closer and pecks a few kisses over his mouth and cheek, wrapping her arms around his neck he draws a smile between kisses.

When Frankie comes back from the stables he’s happy to announce Cole says he can help taking care of the horses a couple hours a day. The schedule some lessons for Maggie to line up with his work so they can both be there at the same time.

 

**

 

In the evening, Frank and Maria prepare for the party that Helen is hosting for her husband. Most of their friends will be there and so the rest of the family.

Frank puts on dark grey suit with no tie and Maria dons a light blue cocktail dress. 

Pressing her hands on his lapels she playfully kisses his nose. “What was that for?” he smirks.

“No reason-” and leaves another quick kiss on his lips.

Staying with her hands on his chest and locking eyes with him she sees something’s not right, “Are you okay?”

Giving a shy nod he picks up one of her hands and kiss her palm, “Yeah,” and closes his eyes, wanting to find the right words to explain whatever is going on with him that she’s picking up on it, no matter how much he tries to hide it. She sees it.

With her finger, she pushes his chin up and makes him look at her again, “Hey, I’m glad you stayed.”

“Me too.”

A few guests are already wandering around the house, while the main event takes place outside, Helen gives a tour for a few friends interested in the renovations they’ve done in their home.

Maggie stays for a little while until she starts closing her eyes in one of the lounge chairs, when Frank sees her, he picks her up and takes her to her room.

Frankie jokes around with another couple kids of the same age that came with their parents, as Lisa enjoys the evening with her friend Amy.

The event goes just as planned, they mingle for a bit getting to know different people who can’t stop talking about Martin’s accomplishments. They enjoy the canapés. Drinks are being served around. An editor gives a toast, one of Martin’s friends that got really drunk really fast gives another toast to have everyone laughing.

Not long after the party has broken into little groups, Frank and Maria end up with Helen around a stand up table. She’s complaining about some of the guests that came that weren’t actually invited, a woman especially that she’s not very fond of.

Frank is taking a sip of his glass of bourbon when Maria suddenly makes an unnatural move forwards as her stand shifts due to a nudge on the back. Turning around the waitress apologizes to her. She seems embarrassed by it.

“No need honey, it’s okay,” Maria kindly tells her.

A surprised expression takes over his face when he sees Karen in front of him, taping anxiously on his glass with no one noticing, he pulls his gaze away a few times before swallowing the big knot that have just build up on his throat.

Helen looks confused at the girl before realizing she’s seen her before.

“Oh, you poor thing,” she says with regrets “-I’ve been wondering what happened to you.”

Karen vaguely nods and says she has to go get more drinks.

As she leaves towards the house, Maria turns to Frank, “Wasn’t she the waitress from the other day?”

“I- I’m not sure. Could be,” uncomfortable he stutters, “-yeah, she looked familiar,” he says before taking another sip from the glass.

“Couldn’t even imagine the pain she must be in,” Helen says bringing one hand to her chest. “How’s so?” Maria asks her.

“She and her husband, they had a little boy that died, not so long ago- The Lockharts, it slipped out of my mind, that was the name,” She gets a little emotional remembering the story.

“Like the ranch?” Frank wonders if it was one of the guys they met today.

Helen nods before excusing herself to say goodbye to a friend that is leaving.

Maria squeezes his arm a couple of times, “What are you thinking?”

“Nothing, just- how hard it would be- a loss like that,” and he drinks the last of his whiskey.

She presses a soft kiss on his cheek, when they see the figure of a little person peeking out the french doors. As soon as they notice is Maggie, who has climbed down the stairs with well up eyes from a nightmare, she asks Maria if she can sleep with her.

They both take the little girl back to her room, then Maria sits next to her before nestling her body next to her daughter as Frank watches from the doorframe.

 

**

 

Lisa and her friend Amy run back upstairs giggling and having a good time to ask permission to go to Amy’s house to sleep.

They agree to let them go, even though is late, under the condition of Frank driving them.

On the driveway Lisa turns to his dad, “You know, you’ve been drinking, maybe I should drive?” smiling at him convinced that he’s gonna say no, “Come on, it’s a five minute drive.”

“Only cause you asked nicely,” and he throws her the keys that she catches mid-air.

The drive goes smoothly, she just got her permit and she’s very good at it already. He can help but look at her from the corner of his eye from the passenger seat and feel proud.

When they arrive, Frank watches them enter the house before getting on the driver seat and turning the car around. 

 

**

 

A couple minutes on the road, he sees her again, walking in the opposite direction he’s driving and he can instantly recognize her when the headlights hit her blonde locks.

He slows the car, stopping at her side and rolling down the window, “Need a ride?”

Biting the inside of her mouth she averts to the road for a moment, “Come on,” Frank exclaims.

She opens the door and gets in, shoes in hand for some reason she leaves them at her feet.

Frank turns the car around once more and she gives him directions. Hiss eyes on the road as she props an elbow on the edge of the window. Unintentionally, he turns his head for a second to look at her.

“I guess you know-” she says in a low voice.

“What?”

“About me- I’ve seen enough people looking at me like that to see that you know,” referring to her loss, which he just learned.

“I wasn’t looking- in any particular way,” his grip on the wheel gets slightly tighter, “-honestly,” then he turns his head again for a couple of seconds just to look at her directly into her eyes to make a point, “I wasn’t.”

“My ride got sick,” she changes the subject, “-she got to go home an hour earlier.”

“So you don’t usually walk around the road barefoot at midnight?” he jokes.

She can’t help but let out a smile before giving another direction.

“Listen, we’re probably gonna keep running into each other- I think is better if we forget about the other night and just- move on- that or be uncomfortable for the rest of the summer,” he rambles out of nowhere, even though he hasn’t stopped thinking about her since that night.

He’d be lying if he would say otherwise, cause he has found himself thinking about her and wanting to touch her again ever since.

“Is that really what you want?” she asks.

“I’m married- and so are you.”

“Well, marriage means different things for different people. And you didn’t answer the question.”

He scoffs pushing his head back to the seat, “What does it mean to you?”

“I don’t know-” thinking for a moment, she tilts her head and stares at the road “-I used to think there was this one person I would put above anyone else- above myself.”

“And now?”

“Now- I just hope I don’t kill him,” she says very directly “- does it make me a bad person?”

“Makes you human- I don’t think I would survive something like you did,” he tried to stay away from the subject but his thoughts slip out.

“I’m still not sure I did-” holding back a few tears, her voice cracks a bit, “what about you? What does it mean to you?”

“I-I thought it was a bubble- as corny as it sounds-” a lopsided smile on his face he tries to explain, “I always saw those two people in their own little world that grew stronger and bigger by the second they were together- but then- I left too many times, every time I came back it was less and less of me, and less of her,” he explains with sadness.

“And the bubble shrank-” she continues for him.

He nods “-now we’re both suffocating in it.”

“Didn’t sound corny at all-” she looks at him and she points to the side “-you can park there.”

Parking the vehicle, he rests his head back as she reaches for the door handle before he stops her.

“I didn’t answer your question- cause it’s not really what I want- I barely know you. Shit- when I saw you this morning-” battling within himself as he swallows, his neck tensing to look the other way he slams his hand inadvertently on the wheel, “I wanted to be on that beach again- with you. Does that make me a bad person?”

She shakes her head, “It doesn’t- I think we all are lonely- sometimes I think that’s all that is, no matter the situation, you can be around a thousand people hovering over you and still find this hollowing echo inside that nobody can fill, and if by some fucking chance you find it-”

Frank listens closely knit his brow trying to understand what she’s saying as Karen continues “-we get uncomfortable at the thought of hurting someone in our lives if we act on it, but we do hurt them either way by pretending to be something we’re not. Does it make sense?”

A quick nod, he licks his lips before responding, “In a way it does.”

She looks down to run her hands on her legs to warm up from the cool breeze that is settling in the night, “So, what now? Do you think you can avoid me all summer?” 

Reaching for his jacket on the back seat he puts it on her legs, “thanks.”

He lets out a huff and taps the wheel with his finger, “Shit, I don’t know. This is so fucked up. I don’t even know what we are talking about here.”

“I have absolutely no idea either-” she says before confessing “I’ve been thinking about you too, you know? I thought we might as well figure it out.”

“Are you really okay with this? I mean, don’t you feel guilty?” 

“No, not about this,” she responds with no sign of remorse or shame in her voice.

Still oblivious to what is happening inside of him, one thing he’s sure of, he felt lighter somehow when he was with her the other night. Now he's trying to make his mind about it as she waits for him to respond.

“It was nice to meet you Frank, I’m not gonna- I really don’t want to complicate this for you- I’ll just go, okay?” she removes the jacket to climb out of the car when he stops her.

Putting guilt aside for a moment to see if what happened was just a momentary thing as he drags a hand through his jaw.

Scooting over his seat to get closer, he places a hand on her face and brings his head closer to hers to steals a kiss from her lips. Brushing his thumb on her cheek, while she moves her hand to his forearm.

The kiss is sweet as slow with no sudden moves. And there it is again, hoping he could kiss her all night as a flash of Maria pops in his mind and he pulls his head away, wondering why he didn’t feel the same earlier when his wife kissed him just as sweet.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” she asks.

“Think so,” he says almost sighting, driving his gaze to his left where he sees Karen’s house, “Is that yours?”

“Uh huh, it belonged to my grandparents.”

Frank observes the rawness of it, stripped from any fanciness, bare of any modern construction elements. Just plain wood, with faded colors that makes it stand out from the other houses. 

“They passed it on to you?”

She nods, “Kept it as it was with outdoor shower and everything- well, I added plumbing.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen an outdoor shower.”

“City boy huh? I thought you were a marine, never showered outside?as she draws a playful grin on her face.

“Not really, no- you were marked for life if were to waste water out there- so no fancy backyard showers.”

Turning to her as she laughs at his remark, “It’s more on the _side-yard_ of the house,” she quips.

He snorts amused as he puts a hand on the wheel and looks to the windshield as she suggests to get something to eat.

 

**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of driving here I didn't notice until I was editing this chapter. Also, too much dialogue but I thought it was important to show how conflicted they are.


	4. Karen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It only goes darker and more explicit from here.

Karen guides Frank through her town late at night. Surprised he said yes, she takes him to a drive-in, near Fort Pond, where they order a couple of burgers and drinks.

As Franks parks the car in a spot looking over the lake, Karen takes her first bite letting a loud hum of enjoyment way louder than she expected, “That’s so good, I didn’t have time tonight to eat and those canapés at your party were ridiculous-” she exclaims with her mouth still full.

“Wasn’t my party but you’re right,” and he opens the door while taking his food container to lean on the hood of the car.

Karen gets out as well, noticing that at point in the ride she had put on his jacket on her shoulders.

He sees her from the corner of his eye when she’s about to take it off, “don’t, it’s okay.”  
As they finish their food, Frank is sipping his drink while Karen takes the containers to a bin nearby and sits on the edge of a bench’s back.

Clearing her throat as she crosses her arms on her chest she glances at Frank to see how dapper he looks in his black shirt and grey suit pants leaned on the car, hands against the hood, fidgety finger making little tap sounds.

If it was up to her, she would throw her arms around his neck and start kissing him right there but she also knows how confused he feels right now.

Unlike him, she doesn’t feel confused by anything. She knows how fleeting everything is, not that she doesn't love her husband, but if somehow she finds something different that makes her feel better, she’s not gonna regret acting on it even if it hurts somebody in the process. Even if it sounds cruel, at some point she has to put herself first.

All those times she feel like running away, maybe she should listen to her gut more often and run towards whatever makes her happier.

At this moment, it’s him. Frank. This new stranger in her life that doesn’t look at her like a broken thing. He doesn’t pity her. He’s not condescending towards her. He doesn’t make feef guilty.

And she doesn’t know much about him, but she wants to get to know him.

Karen looks at him, he seems lost in a thought, just as she was, “What are you thinking?”

Eyes straight but not on her, shifting between the ground and the water behind her, “the beach, the other night,” he admits.

She flushes and her mouth quirks up to a half smile, wanting to tell him to come closer in the back of her mind but before she can say anything he’s already walking towards the bench.

Extending his arms to tighten the jacket that is wrapped around her as he leans in for a kiss. His tongue moves firmly and more passionate than earlier. 

Moving her hands up to his hips, shifting her legs to make room for his as she stays seated on the back of the bench, he’s standing up as his head is slightly dipping to her.

Noticing a couple of loose strands of hair dancing with the cool breeze, he tucks them behind her ear before placing his hands on her face to look into her eyes.

One of his hands slips down to her bare knee, without breaking the stare he asks, “Is this okay?” as he gently caress back and forth her leg before giving a soft squeeze to her thigh.

Karen nods and pulls him closer to keep on kissing him, he palms his hand on her inner thigh, rubbing it softly to warm it up as he realizes she’s a little cold.

The short black dress she’s been hating all night suddenly doesn’t feel so bad, as she moves her leg to the side to give him room, the fabric slips back a bit letting him more space for her to enjoy.

A small gasp against his lips as he reaches his underwear. With the side of his index finger he strokes above the fabric, pressing against her sensitive spot.

Humming in his mouth she puts her hand on top of his and guides him to the other side of her panties. Pulling them to the side he gets aroused at the touch of her slick flesh.

One of her hands is back at his hip, as the other clenches to his forearm while he slips in two fingers inside of her, gasping at his movements and slightly bucking her hips, he circles around her soft walls. Combining with a couple in and out moves.

She presses her head on his chest, holding back a few moans and she squeezes his arm tighter. While circling inside harder he strokes her clit with the pad of his thumb causing her to clench her knees together and let out a moan at her climax. She clasps his hand between her legs as her opening contracts around his fingers. 

Karen stays still for a moment as he presses a kiss on her hair, she relaxes letting out a huff and releasing his hand, a hand she takes as she stands out to take him to the other side of the bench to sit properly.

Pushing his shoulders down, she straddles her legs sitting on his lap, then she nips his lower lip while undoing his belt, “is this okay?” she draws a smile on his lips, he hums with a light nod.

Pushing his boxers back just enough for her to grasp his hard-on that comes to her sight, she moves her hand up and down around his cock as she puts her mouth on his neck pressing a few kisses and nibbles, tilting his head back she has to hook her free arm around his head to keep it steady towards her.

His hands move to the side of his thighs, dragging his fingers down to her knees and tucking them on the hem of her dress on his way up as the pleasure builds up.

Looking down at his length a few times, while she's jerking him off, she enjoys the sight of him just being that way for her. She wants him inside her but this is not the place or the time. 

She just keeps on kissing him, noticing his grasp get tighter on the curve of her hips, his muscles straining on his neck, she picks up the pace until he grunts onto her collarbone as his cock releases on her hand.

Followed by a quick embarrassed _sorry_ , she replies “Don’t be.”

 

**

 

Disappearing into the night after he drops her off, Karen walks in to an empty home.

Not unusual for her, Cole stays at the ranch when he works late or if he drinks he’s pretty responsible not to drive so he stays at his mom’s.

Karen takes a shower before going to bed, as she can’t stop thinking about him she slips into the sheets with just a pair of panties and reaches between her legs to take care of the tingle she gets at the recent memory of his fingers inside her.

She quickly falls asleep after.

Before work, she’s pouring a cup of coffee in the kitchen with she hears the door slamming. She can only think _god, what now?_ as she hear Cole walking in.

“Cole?” she yells looking for him.

“I’m here,” he says from the bedroom.

He’s changing his clothes as she sits on the bed to see what's going on, “What’s wrong?”

“Look , I know what you’re gonna say but you have to do me a favor and get a pick up before work-”

“Cole-” she sighs “-I did it yesterday” referring to their illegal drug business.

“I know K,” he throws his plaid shirt around his shoulders slipping his arms in “- Scotty, he has friends comin’ from Florida, say they’d buy half of it- he just fucking told me, okay?”

“Are we really that bad?”

Hiding his face down while buttoning his shirt, “Don’t worry about it.”

“Cole, come on!” raising her voice in frustration.

Hands on his hips he looks to her and explains in a calm tone, “We’re gonna figure it out- the ranch is not doing as well, they’re talking about selling again, shit, I’m not gonna let them- I won’t.”

His family ranch backs up to the 20’s, he’s very attached to it and Karen knows how much it means to him.

“Okay- I’ll do it this time- at some point you’re gonna have to find somebody else-” she says firmly before sipping the rest of her coffee.

“We’re all marked- you’re the only one nobody looks a second time, who else am I gonna find?” 

With an unamused look “Is that supposed to be a compliment?” she hisses.

“Don’t take it that way, it’s not what I meant-”

“I know what you meant, I know just fine- that’s what people see, they see the sad girl from the paper who lost a son- and too afraid to approach her, what thing could she be doing? they ask themselves, I don’t know- SURE AS HELL SHE’S NOT DEALING DRUGS!” She states standing up, gradually increasing her tone to end up screaming at his face and storming out.

She throws her bag over her shoulder, rushing outside to climb on her bike. A few tears roll down her face as she pedals faster and faster towards the pier. As mad as she is, if she agrees to do something, she does it, no matter how angry she’s it.

Same as the other day, she gets a cooler from Jack with whatever drugs they've decided to bring this time, covered in ice and a few fish on top, and she takes to Caleb at the station.

On her way to The Lobster Roll, on the side of the road while she’s still furiously pedaling, the tire skids on a dirt patch that makes her lose control of the handles to fall onto her side, landing on a knee that gets a few scrapes, “Damn it!” she lets out picking up little rocks encrusted on the skin.

A car walks by and stops next to her, “Are you okay?” a man says.

“I’m fine,” she says without looking up, she hears the door of the car opening and closing, looking back she didn’t recognize his voice, it’s Frank.

He opens the trunk to get a first aid kit.

Crouching in front of her he proceeds to clean out the knee that is currently bleeding.

“Shit, are you okay?” he asks again while thoroughly taking care of the scrapes on her knee like he was a surgeon.

“Yeah- yeah I’m fine-” as her eyes well up she turns her head, covering her mouth with her hand.

He stays focused on her knee letting her time to breathe as he sees how distraught she seems.

“Just this fucking road-” she lets out in annoyance“-I can’t do anything right.”

Frank finished taping a gauze over her knee and checks if the bike is safe for her to keep riding.

“Thank you,” Karen says still not looking at him, with her knees bent and ass on the ground she wipes some tears from her face.

“No need,” he offers his hands to help her get up “-c’mon.”

She takes them and he effortlessly pulls her up. She straightens her shirt and puts his bag right, wiping some dirt from the back of her shorts.

“When can I see you again?” she urges, quickly recovering from what just happened.

He hesitates, “I don’t know- I’ve become pretty good at sneaking out at night- not something to be proud of but-”

“You’ll let me know?”

“Yeah- I will.”

They exchange numbers and they both go their way.

 

**

 

Karen is wiping down some menus at the counter with a rag and a spray bottle when Oscar, her boss, sits next to her.

“Town hall, tonight. I need you to back me up Page,” he says causing her to shake her head slightly grinning, “I got the plans, permits, everything. The can’t do anything about it- but they’ll try.”

“It’s not really business Oscar,” she keeps doing her task, “-what the hell do you want to build this time, anyway?”

“Take a look,” as he hands her a folder with papers.

“A bowling alley? They’re not gonna go for it- even with me on your side.”

“It’s an entertainment center,” he states.

“What makes you think I can convince them?”

“Come on Page, do whatever you have to do to convince your husband, you know? give him some of that sweet sugar of yours,” as his words gets grosser she clenches the rag on her hand to make a fist, “-lay on top of him naked, like you did with me that time, remember? Maybe I’ll let you get off sooner if you lay on top of me too,” he licks his lips and looks at her legs dangling on the stool.

“You’re fucking disgusting- you know that constitutes as sexual harassment, right?” as she stands up.

“So sue me. I thought you needed this job.” he keeps nagging her, ”Word is The Lockhart reign is coming to an end-”

“You’re a fucking leech. No way in hell I’m gonna be on your side, you hear me?”

“Hey,” he yells to stop her from leaving, and lowering his voice he says “-you know how it is, you have to change in order to survive. Unlike your husband, who didn’t get the memo, you’ve changed.”

As she storms of for a second time this morning, she walks to the back and grabbing the pack of smokes she tucked in the pocket of her apron to light one up. As she’s getting a headache, she rests her head back up to the wall to have a smoke.

She usually can hold her temper when Jane is in, she keeps her distracted from snapping like today. So her presence is missed this morning.

She might lose her job if she doesn’t quit first. She’s not sure if she cares enough to keep it.

Her cell phone dings on her pocket as she ignores it.

When her shift is done, Oscar didn’t bothered anymore after their last talk.

Checking the messages on her phone, she rolls her eyes at reading a couple from Cole confronting her about not checking in after pick up and another to go to the ranch after work.

She stops to read one simple text from the new number.

_Thinking of you. I hope your knee is okay. - Frank_

Everything fades into the background when she finds herself reading it that simple line over and over as big smile takes over her face.

 

**

 

Back in the ranch one more day, dreading every step she takes towards her husband who is backing up a horse into one of the stalls, with her hands on her hips she curtly asks, “What is it now?”

“You didn’t check in after, that’s our rule,” he scolds her.

“Nobody takes a second look at me, so no, from now on you should assume everything went fine,” she bites back.

“I’m sorry baby, okay? I swear, I didn’t mean it that way,” he cradles the back of her head and kisses her temple “You know I love you, right?”

With an unreadable expression she simply nods.

Rounding the stables side by side, as they approach the desk upfront they see Scotty flirting with a young girl, and Karen is quick to yell at him at the shock of seeing she’s Frank’s oldest daughter. She remembers just seeing her last night at the party.

“Scotty, what are you doing?”

As he goes to them, “What are you talking about?”

“Man, she’s a minor,” Cole scolds him.

“Yeah, right. Look at her, she came in that car” as he points at a convertible BMW parked on the side of the property.

“She’s sixteen at most,” Karen whispers as she sees Lisa looking at them “- don’t be _that_ asshole.”

“Is my brother around or what?” Lisa asks annoyed.

“He’ll be out in a second, he was finishing washing up,” Cole tells the girl.

Karen stays behind the desk to keep Scotty in check up until Frank’s son comes around to her sister waiting by the car to pick him up.

 _What a fucking day_ , she thinks, not one break from this bullshit, not at work, not a home.

Checking that message he sent her earlier, she can’t stop thinking of something to write back.

Leaning against the wall as she props her sole on it, bending her scratched knee up. She traces circles with her fingers over the gauze. She’s been so upset all day she completely ignored the moment he sweetly fixed her wounds without even asking.

Ready to reply, even if he didn’t expect a response, she writes back:

_Knee’s okay, she wants a kiss next time._

She feels stupid the moment she hits send, but it quickly goes away as he is fast to respond:

_Sure thing. She can have two for the one I forgot this morning._

As her heart flutters at his lovely words.

 

**

 

After dinner everyone prepares to leave for Town Hall, where everyone has a chance to make their complaints and share their ideas. The Lockharts have great influence on how things get decided.

Cole plans to counter against Oscar’s proposal so he writes a speech to convince other people, as he gives it to Karen to read he can see she’s not happy with it. “What?”

“My song is buried in this ground?” she scoffs, “you can’t be serious, you can’t use his memory to make a statement.”

“Did you even read the whole thing?”

“Yeah, Cole. You want things to stay the same. Same place we grew up, same place he was born, same place you want to die.... Things can’t stay the same-” as she remembers Oscar’s words, as outline as he was there was truth on them, “-why don’t you fucking get it? Sometimes you can’t even see past your nose.”

“You know what I see...” darkening his eyes he lowers his voice and stares at her to state, “I see that you’re fucking crazy Karen! Hiding behind his death, everyone treating you with kid’s gloves as if you were the only one suffering- and you’re mean- that’s it you’re mean to everyone.”

A lump forms on her throat as she looks up to see Mary Kate, Hal and Cherry standing by the door shocked at their conversation. Neither of them realized they were them almost for half the conversation.

She stutters as she holds her tears back “Well-um, maybe you should stay here more often.”

Bailing from Town Hall she goes home.

Curling on the bed, without even taking off her clothes or shoes, Karen cries herself to sleep.

_Her feet sinking in the water as the tie rises, unable to move, she yells at the ocean. The waters is up to her waist. Waving arms. Her body feels heavy as if her ankles were being dragged down by weights. She yells his name. Her son’s name. Gabriel. He’s drifting. And she can’t reach him. As the water goes higher, touching her nose. Her head sinks and she keeps screaming under as her lungs fill with water. She finally find peace when all the air is out._

She jerks awake from the nightmare at 11.14 pm at the sound of the buzz from her phone. 

Reaching out for it in the bedside table, she sits up fast to read his new message.

Frank’s.

_Can I see you now?_

 

**


	5. Frank

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It overlaps with the previous chapter.

A tiny whisper on Frank’s ear, who lays on his stomach with his arms under the pillow.

“Wake up.”

He doesn’t hear it. A soft voice speaks a little louder.

“Daddy wake up,” he hears this time.

Lazily opening his eyes to a very awake Maggie, who with a smirk climbs to the other side of the bed to jump up and down.

His mouth quirk up as he gets ready to turn around to catch her mid-air, only to tickle her mercilessly on the sides causing her to chuckle out loud. “Daddy stop,” pleading between out of air laughs.

“Are you gonna stop jumping lil’ frog?” as he pauses briefly for her to answer.

With a big grin on her face she shakes her head, “No? Okay, what if I get up?” he asks her again resuming the tickles.

With a shrug she gives a doubtful _maybe?_

“Okay,” he throws her over his shoulder and gets up.

Maria left early to spend the morning with some of her childhood friends.

Downstairs, he only finds Frankie watching TV and his mother-in-law, Helen, in the office.

“Did you send her?” He asks his son as he carefully places little Maggie on the couch.

“Better than any alarm, huh?” Frankie jokes.

An overly excited Maggie can’t stay still so she continues running around.

“Come on Daddy, we have to go!” she urges.

Frank gets ready and takes his children to the ranch. He stays around for a good 30 minutes, watching over Maggie getting along with the horses as she learns how to ride, as Frankie helps on the stables.

With an hour to kill he drives up to the lighthouse and gets some food. On the drive back, by some bizarre coincidence, for the second time she finds Karen sitting on the side of the road next to a bike.

He rolls down the window to see if she’s okay. Without even turning to him, she responds she is in a clearly upset tone.

No hesitation on his part, he gets out and gets the first aid it from the trunk. Bending a knee in front of her, he proceeds to clean up the scrapes on her knee.

Once he’s done, standing up he extends his hands down to her for hear to pull herself back up.

He checks the bike, it has a few scratches on the bar that could have been there before the fall, looks like a well used bike but everything looks good for safe traveling.

Taking it back from his hands, she directly asks when they can meet again. Unsure of when that could happen again they exchange numbers.

Frank was driving on the same direction she was going, she started pedaling before he got back to his seat. Eventually he passes her side giving her a shy nod.

Right hand on the steering wheel as he props the other elbow by the window edge, he observes her getting smaller in the mirror up until he can no longer see her.

A blink. A quick sip of coffee. A reckless moment, a shameful memory pops into his head.

He can’t wish it away. Or erased it. Or forget it ever happened.

As he keeps busy around the house, he goes for a swim in the pool. After, he picks up the paper to read the news on the kitchen counter.

Unable to stop thinking of her, he fidgets around the big house where there’s nothing for him to do.

A call from Curtis distracts him for a while. Said he would come over in a few days with Billy.

He takes a shower and Karen makes her way back into his mind.

Sheltered by the privacy of his bathroom he relives himself in the shower. One hand on the wall as his body soaks in water, the other around his cock, pumping himself. Eyes closed, he remembers her soft hand touching him, the smell of her hair that brushed his nose a the will of the breeze.

His hand on her thigh, squeezing hard, his fingertips leaving soft pink marks on her pale skin. Caressing her opening he feels her ready for him, lost in the fantasy, she opens her legs for him and he removes her panties to wrap himself around her sensitive flesh. He only grows harder as a few grunts echo in the steamy room.

 

**

 

The evening brings everyone back in the house for a family dinner.

Frank was already there with the kids. Lisa came back from her sleepover in the afternoon and picked up Frankie from the ranch, where he stayed a little longer than his sister. The grandparents went out for a while but they have come back as well.

Maria is the last one to arrive, after spending the majority of the day with her friends she returns from her last stop mostly buzzed.

He’s checking his phone again, he texted Karen earlier and even though it was stupid thing about her knee he can only hope she found it sweet at least. And she did. With a big smile on his face he’s quick to write back.

“Shhhhh” his stare is interrupted from the screen as he puts his phone back on the pocket, “don’t tell my parents” Maria playfully whispers walking to him with her shoes off and almost tumbling as she sneaks her arms around his waist.

Amused he winks at her, “Secret is safe with me. Did you have fun?” She hums as she keeps whispering, “tell you all about it later.”

Everyone at the table, the usual tension rises upon the same tiring issues. Frank stays above it most of the time. Enjoying his food, joking with his kids and watching Maria getting sober without losing the humor.

Pragmatism, a word that rules the conversation as they’re finishing their food. As Martin tries to convince Frank Jr to find a better job. Digging at him at every opportunity for cleaning up horses, not even half joking, but really serious and demanding, convinced that that job is not proper for him and won’t get him far.

“That’s enough Martin,” Frank demands finally on his last nerve as he pushes his back up against the chair, knuckles tensing underneath the table “you know who doesn’t get far? Bullies like you.”

“Is that right? Am I the bully here?” wide-eyed Martin looks around at everyone at the table, “Please, I’m merely pushing him into a better direction. _The right direction._ Don’t you want something better for him? For all of them?” as he gestures the rest of his kids.

“I want them to be human beings, no matter what they do.”

“Always the idealist,” as he sips from his glass, Martin continues slightly gesturing with the glass on his hand, “Tell me Frank, those ideals of yours- Did they apply when you were out there fighting for your country?”

“Don’t talk about something you don’t know, man,” in between teeth Frank clenches his jaw.

“No? What about _Kandahar _? Where you decent human-” Martin provokes him at will, knowing what he did,“Did you tell them? Did you tell her?” she gestures at Maria.__

__“Shut your mouth,” he mumbles, trying to hold himself from bursting out in front of the children._ _

__Helen stands up, “Okay kids, come on, lets get some dessert-” they all follow her to the kitchen._ _

__Maria glances at Frank, concerned, the joyful expression from moments ago is completely gone from her face, “What is he talking about?”_ _

__“Nothing he’s talking ‘bout nothing,” with rushed words he shakes his head._ _

__“Dad?” as she turns to Martin._ _

__“Ask him,” drawing an almost devilish smile on his face realizing he’s finally found something to hang Frank with._ _

__Finishing his drink Frank stands up without giving him the satisfaction of making a scene, he climbs up the stairs._ _

__

__**_ _

__

__Stripping off his clothes to put on sweatpants and a hoodie. Maria bursts in, closing the door behind her, with her hands on her back she leans back against the door._ _

__“What is he talking about Frank?” she urges in a calming manner “and don’t give me _nothing_ , -please.”_ _

__“Can’t really talk about it, was classified. How the hell does he knows, beats me. ”_ _

__“Frank,” almost pleading, “I’ll ask him if I have to. I will- but I rather hear it from you.”_ _

__Approaching the door to her to stare directly on her eyes, “I came back, didn’t I? What does it matter how?” with an almost cruel tone in his voice._ _

__“Because it changed you somehow, look at you right now. You’ve never talked to me that way,” as her voice breaks “-I swear I look I you and I don’t see you anymore babe- I just- I just want to understand-”_ _

__“Even if I told you- wouldn’t change anything I did-” swallowing a lump, his pride and his lies, he looks down._ _

__“So you just bury it, don’t deal with it at all- Does Billy know?” without giving him time to respond she nods “I bet he does, maybe I’ll ask him, you know?”_ _

__“He was there- he won’t tell you shit-” as he reaches for the door knob next to her, she stops him putting her hand on it so he can’t open._ _

__“Why are you being like this right now? It has struck you what my father said- what the hell did you do?” anxious to know her voice rises._ _

__Sucking on his lip he takes a step back, gesturing with his palms up, “It was just a mission, Maria, I did what I had to-”_ _

__“Billy- he called a couple times worried about you, it all makes sense now- told me not to say anything. What the hell did you get into?” she rushes a few steps towards him trying to meet his eyes to get an answer. “So?”_ _

__His chin goes up surprised at what she just said. Thinking Billy would have told him, or ask him directly. “Stay away from it, Maria- it wasn’t good, that’s all I can say.”_ _

__Door unguarded now, he walks towards it_ _

__“Where are you going?”_ _

__“Out.” he replies rudely slamming the door behind him._ _

__Rage on his eyes, his hand clasped hard on the wheel, driving with no direction, he ends up in Karen’s street a couple of houses over hers._ _

__In the car, he presses his head back against the headrest, turns on the radio and reaches for his phone in the console to text Karen, asking if she can meet him right now._ _

__

__**_ _


	6. Karen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is just Karen & Frank talking. It was supposed to be very smutty at first but I took the scene off. I'll save it for the next one.
> 
> If you're still reading, it's already warned but just in case, her child's death is mentioned almost every chapter and this one is no different.

Curled up in bed, soundly asleep, drowning in a nightmare when Frank texted her almost at midnight to meet up. Turning around she lays on her back and runs a hand through her hair.

With sweaty palms she picks the phone back up, almost slipping between her fingers she manages to keep it steady to reply back.

 _Where?_ Karen texts back.

 _I’m just outside._ Frank replies.

In the stark room she makes her way to the bathroom. Her eyes are swollen and red. Washing her face in the sink she cups her hands together to take a few sips.

Adjusting her mushed hair, she brings it all to the side to rest on her shoulder. A few drops of water splashed on her top, she just straightens her clothes as best as she can with the little energy she owns.

At the end of the path of the open driveway, he finds him leaning on the fence. Her moves are slow as she remains a bit drowsy, and still overwhelmed by the events that happened earlier.

His head is still but eyes looking all over, he seems fascinated by the house. The moment he sees her Frank immediately notices the heaviness of her stare and the paced cadence on her moves as she walks toward him.

A sudden move and she closes the distance, falling into his arms without words. She buries her head on his neck, placing an arm around his waist and her other hand over his collarbone. She feels his throat move up and down, swallowing. His chest tightens at her touch and she feels the pulse on his neck throbbing in her hand.

She doesn’t see it but he closes his eyes as she feels his arms covering her, reassuring her without even knowing.

For a minute she forgets about everything, as she finds comfort leaning on him, it doesn’t feel like the world is about to collapse on her anymore.

“You okay?” he asks.

No words on her lips, she moves her head almost like nodding and takes another breath, catching the smell of his warm neck.

“Do you like it up close?” as she pulls away to tilt her head to the house she asks in a raspy voice, “the house I mean.”

Recalling him talking about construction, it made sense that he seemed quite taken by it.

“I do,” ignoring the house, keeping his eyes on her he cups Karen’s cheek making her blush “I really do.”

She walks him around the property, only lit the street lamp that reach almost half the driveway. There’s no paved paths, only a couple of trees surrounded by dirt, wild plants and sand from the beach, all mixed together around the house beautifully.

In the back of the house, so close to the ocean views are one of the most incredible sights to wake up to. Again, she finds Franks mesmerized by it.

There’s a set of stairs that go up to the back porch that sits on stills. Karen sits on the third step, bending her knees and wrapping her arms around them.

“Didn’t think I would see you so soon, figured you’d take your time,” she says as she unconsciously traces with her thumb one of the scrapes she got from the fall.

“Well, I didn’t either- I-I had to get out.” he stands in front of her, “didn’t mean to end up here.”

“Bad day, huh?”

“Was okay in the morning- went downhill at dinner,” pausing to sight, he rests a hand on the railing and extends the other to caress the same spot on her knee she was at, “-seems that you have had your fair share too.”

A small chuckle escapes her mouth from his hand tickling on the scratches, “I’ve had worst.”

Bending one knee he dips his head down to her leg, “what are you doing?”

“Trust me-” Smiling he removes her arms and places two kisses on her knee and then sits next to her.

She nervously smile at how adorable he looks right now, “I thought you were joking.”

“I did too- but I couldn’t resist-” he says amused “-nice pool you have there.”

“It doesn’t belong to me.”

“Still, it must feel so soothing- don’t you love hearing it at night?”

Shaking her head as her expression turns serious, “Not anymore, no.”

“Why do you stay then?”

“Can’t leave,” her tone is tinged with sadness, “I still- _he_ \- I still feel him here.”

Speaking out loud something she’s never shared before she realizes why she can’t just leave, in this moment, all the times she’s tried to run she always end up here, for her son.

“Oh-” Frank just says speechless, unable to articulate anything to make her feel better, he just brushes her lower back with his hand.

Her head goes to the side as she lets it rest on his shoulder.

“He’s right there- playing on the sand, smiling- building a sandcastle while I watched from this same step- he’s on his room asking to read Peter Pan for the fiftieth time before bed-” with cracks on her voice, she manages not to cry again tonight, “I can’t leave him here- I can’t.”

Frank cups her cheek and a few tears spring from his eyes, incapable to imagine a pain like that. Sure he as lost people before, but never a child. He can only imagine the tear that must leave inside.  
He clears his throat and kisses her crown, lingering on that spot for a while, he wraps and arm to her shoulder and pulls her tighter to him. Silently propped against each other they listen to the waves crashing on the shore.

“I’m sorry,” says Karen pulling her head to look at him, breaking from the quiet.

“Why?”

“This is not why you came here today-”

“I wasn’t really thinking when I came here-” he says almost scoffing “-and don’t think for a moment that I expected anything else- Karen, if anything just to see you, okay?” nodding in reassurance he ghosts his palm along her jaw.

“Okay.” She agrees curling herself within his torso with his arms completely covering her upper body.

“What happened tonight, Frank?” she asks.

“My father-in-law, he-he got the best of me-” stammering as he taps a finger against her side he’s holding on to, “-talking ‘bout shit he doesn’t even understand,” he huffs, “-he got her questioning me about it, like I could explain what it happened- if they only knew how it was, they wouldn’t-nobody- I mean-”

Losing his train of thought she places a hand on his cheek, “Hey, hey- it’s okay. It happened over there right?” as he nods, “I understand-”

“How could you?”

“My grandfather- he was a veteran. He didn’t talk about it much but my grandma- she knew what it does to a person.” She tells him.

“This was different- it wasn’t like any other war. It was that fucking- if anyone would knew how it went, it’d be the end of everything,” he says anxiously remembering what went down without giving any specifics.

“How’s so?”

“People have died for it- I was lucky I came back, kept my head down, pretended I didn’t know what was happening- like a fucking coward.” he remarks with a snort _“What a joke am I_. Now that asshole thinks he knows- if anyone else hears those words again-”

This time she holds him instead, surrounding his upper body with her long arms as she runs a hand along his back, when reaching to the hem of his hoodie, she sneaks her hand up his spine, feeling his hot skin, he doesn’t even flinch to the touch of her cold hand, if only make his skin bump a little.

“You’re not a joke- ” says Karen at the feel of the _tap tap tap_ on her side, she reaches for his hand, calming it down, she places his palm on her mouth to leave a kiss.

“You don’t even know me,” he doesn’t say it mean, he just to acknowledge the situation, “-just a few days, you can’t really know me.”

“I know enough, Frank. I see you struggling with it- with this- with your situation- and fuck time-” she states loudly “-you can spend years with someone and never really know them- and hearing you, touching you right now- even if it was just a few minutes, I would know you’re not a joke.”

Hanging his head down he closes his eyes, “You’re the only one then.”

Breaking from the form of his arms she grabs his head steadily, with both hands on his face, making him look at her. “Everyone has something to hide- if they’re using that to make you feel like shit it can only be because they have something bigger to hide-”

Unsure of what she’s trying to say his brow furrows, “Do you want me to find about them?”

“No, that’s not at all. I’m just saying, don’t let them see how much it bothers you- or they won’t stop. People like that are insecure- shit, I know who you talking about- read as much as half of one of his pretentious books once- what petty old man.” she rants still grasping on his head, really focused on his eyes.

As she continues, “I saw you at that damn party the other night and you didn’t belong there- they live on the disgrace of others. Hear some of them talking about me like I was a broken thing, like I wasn’t even there- we’re just things to pass the time for them-”

Listening carefully to every word as a soft smile forms on his lips, “you- you’re something else, you know that? When I look at you- I don’t see broken, Karen.”

“What do you see then?”

“A tremendous force of a woman,” he states firmly, wide spreading his arms, inviting her back into them, “Come here.”

With a light flush on her cheeks, she lets her body fall back into him, as she snuggles on his chest playing with the half opened zipper of his hoodie.

Before leaving Frank leaves a kiss on her cheek and they melt into a hug that leaves them both wishing for more.

 

**


	7. Frank & Karen

It’s been three days since Frank last saw Karen.

All his attention has been directed to his kids. On the first day he took Frankie and Lisa fishing in a very early morning, not without a protest from her daughter but she ended up having a good time.

It’s been a constant fight with Maria, she’s adamant on getting the truth out of him and she's making her point by not listening to anything he says unless is something about the kids. She’s not gonna let him off the hook so easily, and he knows that.

The second day, he took Lisa and her friend Amy back to the city to attend a friend’s birthday party. While he waited for them for a few hours, he visited Curtis. They grabbed a coffee and stayed in one of his meetings.

The third day they all went on a hike and spend some time by the beach. Maria was playing in the sand with Maggie while Frank and the older kids were throwing a ball.

Later they had lunch at the Lobster Roll, a suggestion from Frankie who loved the food the other time they were there.

Part of him wanted to see her again and the other part vaguely hoped she wasn’t working that day. Ultimately, she was there but she was working at a different section, she was busy serving that she didn’t see him.

Frank did see her, and glanced at a few times over her. In the middle of their lunch, he observes her getting upset talking with a man eating at the counter. He can’t make up their words but Karen seems tense trying to convey discreetly with the man. Arms crossed standing and cold staring at the man before going back to the kitchen.

When she comes out, she finally sees Frank, carrying a tray with dishes on her hands to serve at a table and going back to the waiting station, she quickly looks at him.

The vibe on the house hasn’t been the greatest lately, the dinners have been mostly quiet since the altercation the other night. The kids started to picked on that. Especially the older ones, Frank overheard Lisa talking to Maria in the living room, as he was passing through the hallway, asking if they were gonna divorce.

Closing his eyes, he couldn’t find the answer, and neither did Maria, she just said, “I hope not sweetheart.”

Frankie got the same feeling when he asked Frank on a ride back from the ranch, why his mom was angry with him.

“I did something,” he admits, thinking at not just one thing but everything he’s been doing lately, “-I wish I could explain it to you buddy- or to your mom.”

It was later on the third day, when everyone was watching TV after dinner and he was changing clothes to go for a run when he got a text from Karen.

_Come over._

 

**

 

Her husband has been staying at the ranch for a few nights now. He has seen him in passing, when he’s come over for a few things or when she hang with Mary Kate and Hal one evening.

Most of the time she stays fixed on her routine of going to work, ridding her bike up to the lighthouse with a book to read and fixing something in the house.

The wall on her bedroom. There’s been a dent on the wall, next to the dresser. A few months back in a fit of anger when she snapped at herself for accidentally breaking a mug, as she was having a breakdown she invoked all her force to push the first thing at her reach. The dresser.

On a plastic sheet on the floor she has all her tools, the radio on the background plays a song she doesn’t know, picking up the chorus quickly, she mumbles a few words giving a few final paint touches.

Startled at the sound of steps on the hallway, her head turns to the side, where she sees Cole entering.

“Just came to leave this,” Cole says placing a stack of bills on the bed.

“Okay,”Karen says in a tiny voice, confused, “I thought all went to the ranch-”

“Told you there was a bigger cut this time. We can spare something for us for the risk,” informing her of the situation “- next pick up is a couple weeks. I can find someone if you don’t-”

“No- No,” she shakes her head, “I’ll do it.”

He starts to leave when he stops at the door to tell her softly without looking at her, “K- do you want to fix this? -Us?”

Looking down at the paintbrush on her hand, “I don’t know.”

As he turns his head back to her, he taps the door frame a couple times before stalking out.

Honestly, she doesn’t know if she wants to. She’s loved him so much that she doesn’t understand why she can’t feel as she once did.

She organizes the drawers and puts the money away in the back of one of them, behind a few of her shirts.

The next day after her shift, she changes her way and goes to the shooting range. It’s been a while since she last went, as she keeps a gun for safety that she bought when she was in New York a few years back. It seems unnecessary here but it gives her some peace of mind.

During her shift she got mad at her boss again, and ever since she’s picture him with a bullet in his head, lying cold in the ground. She lays off those bullets on the target sheet picturing his face. It was a great time spent as a stress reliever, she felt powerful doing it, even in a safe environment a good amount of adrenaline ran through her body.

Once she’s done for the day she asks Frank to come over.

 

**

 

Frank was going out for a run, instead he picked the car keys and drove to Karen’s house. Leaving the car a few houses over, then walking the rest of the way.

There’s no hesitation this time, almost no words shared, they both know why she ask him over. She was aching for him.

Meeting him at the front she takes a hold of his hand to drag him fast behind the fence, to push him a little on his chest, placing his back against the fence to kiss him harder than before, as she hungrily curls her tongue between his lips. Her moves are strong and sloppy but he welcomes them. As she’s taking a hold of him bucking her hips against his, while his hands grip at her ass.

At the need for air she pulls her head back to breath, “Hi.”

“Hey”, smiling he places a kiss on her cheek.

Grabbing both his hands and grinning she takes him to the enclosure on the side of the house, a cubicle made of wood planks, placed horizontally, that go roughly up to seven feet with a set of batwing doors, a shower head above and an updated handle on the inside.

“Oh, the famous shower-” he states.

Letting go of his hands, Karen walks backwards pushing the doors with her back to get inside, “Wanna try it?”

When the doors swing back to their position, Frank holds them open to the outside.

Biting at her lip her eyes darken and she unzips her jean shorts. He observes her removing the rest of her clothes and hanging them on the highest plank. The t-shirt goes next, then her shoes. She isn’t wearing a bra so she is left with a pair of black panties.

Mischievously smirking, she stares at him, “You want me to keep going?”

Swallowing at her sight, he nods taking a good look of her body as she strips down from her underwear.

Completely naked in front of him, she’s never felt more excited at the anticipation of feeling somebody new.

“Now you,” sounding almost like an order, she invites him him.

Releasing his grip on the doors, Frank steps closer to her, and quickly unzips his hoodie that was halfway opened at his chest, tossing it at the same spot she left hers.

A light shade of pink springs on her cheeks and little bumps form all over her body when she notice the mild erection already building up on him when he’s removed all the fabrics that were covering him.

Both naked in front of each other, he cradles her head only to softly brush his thumbs through her features.

Starting at the hairline, with small circles he soothes her forehead, moving next to her eyebrows, he traces both at the same time with both fingers, as she closes her eyes, then he passes carefully through her eyelids.

Grazing through every cell slowly, almost like he wanted to memorize every little detail of hers. And she allows him.

Moving to her cheekbones, he’s determined to know every mole on her face, he stops for a bit on the two next to her eye. Then running down to other on her jawline to give a final touch to the place he’s been before, her mouth.

His large hands frame her jaw, moving his thumb pad to draw her upper lip, when he gets to the right corner he stops at her mole, a spot she has noticed he seems transfixed with, he makes little circles around it.

Brushing aside his thumb meets her lower lip. She opens her mouth, teething at it before pressing her tongue on his thumb pad, then she surrounds it with her lips to suck it very sensually.

Completely taken away with her, he uses that same finger to push her mouth open to tie his tongue with hers.

Melting into a deeper kiss as they both feel the pull of their bodies drawn into each other.

Karen does the same with him. She soothes her hands through his neck, outlining his strong muscles moving in compass with their kiss.

Her hands glide down, molding the shape of his arms. He also has a few marks on his body, one of his shoulder another along his ribs, and a few determined cuts on his arms.

Deeply immersed in each other’s mouth, at the reach of his hips, her hand slides further down to wrap around his length.

Reacting at her touch, he hums on her lips as she flushes his cock between her legs, guiding it to press on her clit, she feels him harden for her and her pussy goes slicker on him.

Parting from her lips to look down for a moment, complete aroused by her moves.

His forehead rest on her temple, his hand moves to palm her boob and he places the other on her nape, waving his fingers on her blonde locks.

He strokes her hard puffy nipple, just as meticulously as before, as if he wanted to embed on his mind every mound of her body.

Her head falls to his shoulder, a hummed _Frank_ from her lips as her bare teeth scrape on his neck.

Understanding what she wants, what they both want, he asks _Do we need-_

Karen shakes her head without letting him finish the question, she mumbles _On the pill._

Turning around, she braces her arms in one of the middle planks. Leaning forward enough for him to put a hand on her rounded hips and use the other one to make his way into her.

A choked gasp from her throat at the contact of his hard cock inside of her.

Her body reacts to every move he makes, every caress on her back, every cell in her skin calling for his touch, she feels her body and mind working accordingly, fully present this time.

Moving slow at first, as he grips on her hips to keep her steady, as his moves quicken, the sound between their bodies slapping against each other with heavy breaths fill the small space.

She finds herself pressing her mouth in her upper arm to muffle her sounds. She can hear him grunting deep in his throat, trying to do the same.

She hangs her dead down at times as the pleasure builds up, her muscles tense pulling her back up straight, as her upper body arches back against his torso without breaking the connection from him.

Draping an arm around her to brace her, Frank palms her breast. As she holds onto his arm, she throws her other arm back digging her fingers on his scalp.

“Shit, honey,” he breaths in the curve of her neck.

With his other hand he rubs her clit vigorously, pounding harder into her a few times, making her pant faster as a few inevitable moans escape her.

As his body starts to strain, he roughly thrust twice before she cries at his name. Digging her fingertips on his skin while her whole body vibrates at the pleasure. She stays stiff for a few seconds as her opening contracts around his cock, he grunts on her skin as he releases inside her at the pressure of her walls around him.

Heavily breathing, unable to move for no more than ten seconds before pulling away. Karen turns to face him, throwing her arms around his shoulders and resting her forehead against his.

“You were right-” panting, he smirks “-outdoor showers are great.”

Grinning at him, she nods and extends her arm up to the handle to turn on the water, “you haven’t even tried it yet.”

Waving their bodies together in a hug as the water covers their bodies.

She hides her face up in his strong neck as he curls his arms around her waist. Enjoying the little intimacy they’ve created in a semi-public space.

Hoping they could stay there forever.

Looking into his eyes now she rakes her fingers through the wet dark curls on his head and he rests his arms around her waist, brushing lightly a palm on her lower back as he pecks at her lips.

Getting back into their clothes, with not towels at hand, all the fabrics get soaked at the contact with the skin.

Karen goes to the house for a minute to grab a couple of beers. Sitting on the steps on the back, they both enjoy their drink.

Frank drapes his arm on her shoulders as she rest her arms on his lap with the bottle handing in the side.

“I wanna do this again,” she states with a small giggle“-maybe somewhere not in the open?”

“Any ideas?” he takes a sip of his beer.

“Maybe? a friend is going out of town- I have to water her plants, maybe one day- ”

“So you’d been thinking about it, huh? All cozy in a bed-” he jokes.

“Like you haven’t,” as she pinches his arm laughing.

Snuggling her tight he presses his mouth on her cheek, “that sound great, honey,” and slowly pecks down her jaw to her neck, making her laugh a bit more as one of his hand tickles her on the side.

 

**


	8. Frank & Karen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of flashbacks narrating the year before they met.

_Guilt._

It was only a few days after he came back when he discovered the hard truth about what they did.

He would’ve take a hundred bullets to undid what happened.

One of the team leaders and his whole family were killed in their house, in an apparent robbery.

After the funeral, they were sharing a few beers in a pub when Gunner approached him. Waiting till the end of the night, when everyone was about to leave to lag behind and walk with Frank to his car.

That’s when he confided with him what he knew.

Gunner first voiced his concerns about the real reason behind the attack in the family, that made Frank crease in disbelieve.

Then he told him about the recording he made of one of those interrogations, send it to a trusted friend in the NSA that confirmed him Operation Cerberus never existed. Along with his words, he gave him a copy of the recording in a pen-drive.

“What the hell am I supposed to do with this, Gunner?”

“Keep it safe, I made a few copies and if anything goes wrong, you’ll know what to do,” He said before leaving.

He jumped into his truck, packed for a one way trip to Kentucky. He trusted Frank and shared his plan of exposing everyone. He was just a backup.

Frank watched the video over and over for the most part of a week after the tragedy. He barely talked or slept. All he did was replay every interrogation, torture session or kill he was part of. He felt used by the people he trusted.

Stuck on his head, he couldn’t put it way, making his worries raise about this reaching to his family somehow.

He had to take it out of the house, but he couldn’t destroy it. So he cleaned it thoroughly of any prints before putting it on small plastic bag with a zip. Then he locked it on a squared tin box, took it to the neighborhood where he grew up and picked and abandoned house where he buried the little box six feet under in a random backyard.

Soon enough, he got a job in construction. He let his hair grow, not only on the head but he grew a beard too, and he began to sleep better but still waking up from time to time in the middle of the night, jerking up violently after a nightmare made out of those memories.

 

All seemed quiet for about three months after that.

It quickly changed when somebody came to him after his shift, a tall guy hiding behind shades and a hoodie, a very fidgety person at first sight, who came to inform Frank that Gunner was dead.

Frank grabbed him by the collar and pushed him up against a wall and started to spit out threats on his face.

The guy wouldn’t shut up and tried to calm Frank by reassuring him the worst way possible, telling him he knew everything about him, his family and basically all about his life.

He punched him in the gut and he winced, bending with his arm on his belly and heaving he quoted the same scripture Gunner recited when he met Frank.

“If he was dead, he would be buried here with his brothers-” Frank quietly yelled at the guy.

“I tried Frank,” the man coughed “-I tried to bring him here but whoever is behind this- went above and beyond to keep him away. I only know of his dead because we had schedule calls- if anything would happen that was the only way to know-” he continued with his story “-one would be a fluke, but he hasn’t reached out in weeks.”

Shaking his head he took a few steps closer to him and the man lifted a hand to plead to him, “Frank, please.”

“What do you want me to do with this, huh? Same as him? Poke everywhere till I end up dead- till my family ends up dead like-” he mumbled furiously at his face.

“Nothing- do nothing. I just thought you should know about your friend. He trusted you.” He shared honestly.

Frank scoffed a round of questions, “Who the hell are you anyway? Why did he trusted you? Why aren't you dead?”

“I was the only person who listened to him I guess. And truthfully, I don’t know- Gunner, I suppose, he warned me, so I ended up making an investigation outside- the right channels.”

“So, you’re NSA or CIA,” Frank put together.

The man vaguely nodded, “It’s done Frank, whatever happened, there are powerful people more resourceful than us.”

He believed him and hated that his hands were tied, another brother ended up dead on his watch and there was nothing he could do.

Convincing himself he was doing this to keep his family safe, he put all his energy at work and pretending he didn’t know anything.

The thought of talking to Billy crossed his mind but he couldn’t take that risk, or put anyone else in danger.

There were only two people who notice a change in Frank. Maria and Curtis.

She could only attribute this change to him adjusting to the world after a long leave, but this was different, parts of him went missing after that. She would hold him after a nightmare cradling his face on her arms and brushing the hair he grew on his face until he’d stop trembling.

Attending a few meetings on Curtis’ group could only help so far. Sharing skimmed details of what he went through felt wrong, he was lying and he felt like a coward for it.

After a few gigs in construction he got a solid job, thanks to Curtis, selling insurance. He shaved his beard and trimmed his hair, and even if wasn’t pretty good at it, still felt better than taking money from his in-laws.

The guilt never went away. It remained deeply engraved in Frank’s chest.

To never fully acknowledge the pain he inflicted in both, men that he knew and others he didn’t, tears him apart.

He became a stranger in his own live, he couldn't understand half the things that happened around him on his daily life.

His final goal was to keep everybody safe, so that’s what kept him going. Until, his father in-law dared to throw it at him, as it was a joke to him.

Unnerve, he had to run away to avoid killing him after dinner. And he went to her, Karen, the person that make him forget about everything, even if it was just for a moment.

 

**

 

_Grief._

 

A constant pull and push that resides within Karen, twisting every cell of her body. A relentless force in motion breaking and changing every fiber inside her, a force that feels hard and cold as steel at times, that easily turns to thin broken glass, leaving her shattered and all over the place.

Karen’s whole world turned upside down in a manner of hours when her child passed almost a year ago.

The first few weeks are still a blur to her. She only knows what people has told her. She moved to the ranch with her husband for over a month until she came out of the state of shock she was into.

Paralyzed, she wouldn’t get out of bed, she wouldn’t eat or drink and sometimes even the air couldn’t make its way to her lungs.

She would tremble and choke when air was lacking, her husband had to handle those moments the best he could. Holding her, reminding her to breath and loving her even when he was in the same state as hers.

It was her mother-in-law who fed her, bathe her and nursed her into a semi-acceptable-half-life without her child.

Once she could stand on her feet, they moved back into the house. While Cole went back to work immediately, she wasn’t ready to get back to hers.

She’s been commuting to the city for almost 4 years, the same amount of years he was alive. Sometimes she’d work from home. Her boss Ellison was always very understanding and after it happened he allowed her to take all the time she needed.

A few weeks passed, and she started therapy, sometimes alone, and other times with Cole. Maybe she expected more that she got, maybe the damage was too great for anyone to fix.

She would put to use the tools her therapist gave her, it helped for short periods of time but she still felt stuck when everyone seemed to be moving on.

When she decided to go back to work, entering her old apartment in Hell’s Kitchen, she had her first breakdown alone. When she opened the door, just the sight of toys scattered on the floor and a little coat hanging on the coat rack made her body tumble to the ground. Like an earthquake just hit her.

On a little shelf by the door there was a few pictures with all the people she’s lost. Her mother, her brother, her grandparents and now her little boy. Staring at them, she curled in the floor clenching her fist so hard hard around the keys until one of the sharp edges stabbed her palm making it bleed.

She cursed at the ground between floods of tears pouring out of her eyes as her skin burned hot.

Once she could move again, she slipped out of her coat and sat against the wall.

When she saw the blood coming out her palm she felt sick to her stomach, so, she crawled into the bathroom to vomit.

Freeing herself from all fabrics that were covering her body, she took a shower and cleaned the cut on her hand.

She found a bottle of whiskey on the cabinet and started chugging it until she fell asleep on the couch.

Upon the miss of her first day back at work, Ellison, her boss and friend, tried to call her but she wouldn’t pick up.

He went to her apartment to find her laying on the couch, curled in a blanket.

“Karen- Hey- are you okay?” he tried to communicate with her but she was completely out of it, “-are you on something?”

“I can’t go back,” she barely managed to say as her eyes stayed fixed on the tv.

He sat on the coffee table and brushed a hand on her shoulder, “Karen, of course you can, you just need more time.”

“No, I can’t,” she said between sobs, “- sorry I wasted your time.”

He soothed his hand on her arm, “Okay- shhh,” he tried to calm her, “-you didn’t waste my time. We’ll always have a place for you, you know?”

“I know,” she mumbled.

Staying a few days on the city she gathered everything in the apartment, donated some of the furniture and other stuff she didn’t need and went back to Montauk.

A purposeless winter, where she spent most days sleeping, occasionally helping at the ranch and reading.

Time kept going and sometimes she felt like she was another person, her family, Cole’s family, became strangers to her. She started to despise her husband, who tried his best to make her feel loved, and she hated him more for that.

At the arrival of spring, she cleaned out the bike her grandfather gave her for her 14th birthday and started taking long rides through the island like she used to.

Things were still a mess and the situation with the ranch put her in the spot of helping the family up, as everyone was pitching up however they can.

Knowing the owner of the Lobster Roll helped her to get a new job quickly, as much as she didn’t want to see him, she felt useless doing nothing, at least this way she would have something else to distract herself.

All changed the moment she met a man at the beginning of summer, the way she felt drawn to him it was like something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

After a few encounters, she suddenly felt lighter at his touch, Frank’s touch.

 

**


	9. Karen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not to spoil anything but this one came out very smutty.

It was the first day he’d come over.

Karen agreed to take care of Allison’s house, a friend of hers that was going out of town for over a month, or more, she was unpredictable like that.

It was a beautiful place in the woods, full of greenery and lush. Allison was an artist so she would have gorgeous pieces hung up on the walls and a few sculptures. A unique collection that Karen adored.

Waiting for him before work, she rode over quite early in the morning, she had kicked off her tennis shoes by the door and she wore a mint green short-sleeved dress with a floral print.

After preparing some coffee she sat on the blue couch.

Excited at the anticipation, one of her hands was raking up and down her tight, with her head resting on the back, smiling at the ceiling, she’d finally go higher up the skirt to massage her favorite spot.

Staying over the fabric of her panties, she strokes along her slit, with his strong hands already on her mind, making her pussy ache for him. Rubbing a bit harder with her fingers she splits her lips as some of her juices make their way out to wet the thin fabric.

Karen hears the car pull up and raising quickly, she fixes her dress and opens the door, biting at her lip waiting for him.

The second he's at the door her hand grabs his shirt to pull him inside the house.

With no time to say good morning, her mouth is already meeting his as her arms drape around his neck.

He holds her by the waist lifting her up and she curls her long legs around his hips.

Frank makes his way to the couch, he has to guide them both with the corner of his eye, almost blindly since she won’t stop sucking his lips.

Once her feet touch the ground she starts undoing his belt and the buttons of his jeans to caress his dick, she doesn’t shy away, with a firm grasp she pumps him hard as he goes stiff on her palm.

Parted lips against each other, his hands moves fast lifting the skirt of her dress to pull the edge of her panties down.

His fingers reaching in between get drenched of her.

“Fuck, you're dripping, ” he breathes on her mouth completely aroused by it.

Tracing kisses up to his ear she whispers, “I was already worked up,” then she smiles on his neck before nibbling at it.

They take the rest of their clothes off and she shoves him onto sitting on the couch, she climbs on his lap to bite on his mouth some more as her nails rake on his back.

Grinding against him, she enjoys feeling his cock in her flesh splitting open, then she reaches for his length to line up with her and sinks on him letting out a soft moan.

“Ahhh, honey,” he gasps with his hands rounding her ass.

Moving his head to her bare front he trails kisses along her chest as she rolls her hips.

Tasting her skin he works his tongue through her mounds stopping at her hard nipples to suck on them, as she moans at the feelings, her back slightly arches, he teethes on one of them and pinches the other giving a small twist that makes her shrill even louder.

“Jesus- Frank,” she cries bouncing on top of him, he moves his hands grip at her rear guiding her and pounding hard thrusts up to her pussy.

She digs her fingers on his shoulder and leans to bite at his lips.

Karen stops bouncing as her body anticipates to the orgasm that is about to hit her, her stomach recoils back and forth, and in a matter of seconds his hard thrusts into her makes her body tremble as she lets out a strangled noise.

Painting, she lays out her weight on him with her head pressed hard against his collarbone.

“You’re amazing,” he whispers causing her to draw a small smile that she prints on his skin.

Once she’s relaxed, he stands up holding her ass and lays her carefully over the couch.

Settling between her hips to finish, his warm wet pussy welcomes his cock again. It feels so nice on him as she still pressuring lightly around his length.

Lazily laying on top of Karen, one arm is curled under her as his other squeeze her thigh sprawled over the edge of the couch with her foot propped on the coffee table.

She slides both hands from his shoulder blades down to palm his bottom and takes a firm grasp on his perfectly molded buns.

As his neck starts turning hot red, his muscles strain forming a tight crease on his brow, while his hand on her leg grabs harder, leaving soft pink fingerprints on her pale skin.

With her hands on his ass she encourages him to push deeper.

Frank's open mouth breaths heavily on her, thrusting hard one more time, his cock twitches coating her insides ash his muffled groan vibrates on her chest.

When his cock slips out of her, all that was pooling inside spills out to the couch, trailing down her asshole to drip on the navy blue sofa.

“Fuck,” she laughs reaching with one hand to wipe it, “I should have put something.”

He laughs turning to his side, as she does the same to face each other. His back is against the backrest as hers is bare to the most welcome breeze that enters from the window.

He places his head really close to her to give a sweet nuzzle with his nose and uses his arm to curl around her and keep her body close to him.

“Good morning,” she breathes warmly.

“Yeah, yeah- it was,” his eyes crinkle with a wide smirk.

He kisses her nose as her eyes shut while his fingers trail her spine down to a couple of moles he feels in the middle.

“I see you like those,” she says squirming a little at the tickling.

“I fucking do, they're very sexy.”

“Not at all when you have them check constantly.”

“Yeah? that could be a pain in the ass. Still gonna kiss them as long as they behave,” he lifts his head to press a kiss on one by her jaw.

She recoils and grasps his face to bring him to her mouth. Then she throws her leg over his hip as her opening grazes with his cock.

“Honey, you gotta stop doing that,” he mumbles as palming her bare rear.

“Why?” smirking she grinds against him and within seconds he’s hard again.

“That’s why?” he groans as his cock involuntary flexes to tap on her pussy.

She grabs him and it sticks on her hand as she jerks him, “fuck me again,” she urges.

Taking a deep breath, he breaks from her to stand up, “turn around,” he says.

Shifting on her knees propped on the cushions, she leans her forearms on the backrest.

He stands behind her and teases her opening with his fingers, inserting two into the warmness lingers from before, he circles around pressing on her walls causing her choke on a loud moan as he goes faster, “You like that?”

“Ahhhh, Yes,” in a shrill voice, “please, Frank” she pleads to him.

Then he positions behind her, lifting her hips a bit, he lines up and puts his cock into her. His thrusts are fast and hard, as his hips slap in her ass loudly. Making her come quicker than before, her body spasm as her torso falls forward for a beat. He doesn’t waver, she holds onto her ass tighter, seconds after he’s filling her pussy for a second time.

Both covered in sweat, she arches back against his glistening chest as he locks his arms around her waist. He sneaks a hand down to feel the aftermath on her sensitive spot and and she flinches a little at his touch.

When they’ve both recovered, Karen goes to the bathroom and takes a quick shower, as Frank pours two cups of coffee.

After coffee, it’s Frank’s turn to shower, under a most curious Karen that leans on the doorframe as they talk.

“Are you staying here?” he asks when she’s handing him a towel.

“Umm, I think so, it’s close to work- so I might stay here for a few days.”

“You’re friend doesn’t care?”

“Not really- she’s pretty laid back, who knows when she’ll be back.”

He gives her a kiss before leaving, as she hates to watch him go but she’s gotta get ready for work.

In the course of a week, he visits her in four different occasions.. It’s mostly sex but with every visit it gets harder on both when they have to part. It gets less desperate as the days pass by, sometimes they just have breakfast and talk, only sneaking a kiss here and there.

 

**

 

It’s the two week mark when she has to do the pick up that she promised her husband.

Cole is back at the house while she stays at Allison’s for now. They haven’t talked much but both are fully aware where their relationship is going. It’s hard for both of them to acknowledge, she wants to move forward but she can’t help to linger on something that was there for a long time. She loves him, even when they fight, but he feels like part of her past.

After getting the delivery from the docks, she takes it to Caleb at the station and rides to work. On her way, she crosses path with Frank that is driving with his oldest daughter.

The town has filled with summer people in the past few days, so her shifts are busier than ever, she’s thankful for the tips but she’s already on the hunt for a new job, some of the patrons come drunk and she not only has to deal with her jackass boss but the douches that come drunk in the morning.

She filled an application for the shooting range, figured no one there would even there to look at her.

One evening, she invites Frank to the range and he’s mostly impressed with her skills, but he can’t help to show off how he can shoot without missing once on the smallest target.

And she calls it directly on his face when they’re walking back to the car. She brought her bike but he insists on giving her a lift to her friend’s house.

“Are you coming in?” she asks when they pull up.

“Can’t,” he tells her sadly that he has to go, “I gotta get back for dinner.”

And he leans in over the console to kiss her before climbing out of the car.

“You sure?” she slides a hand over his jeans to fondle over his dick.

He unwillingly stops her grabbing her wrist, “I wish I could, hon- trust me.”

“Please,” Karen begs on his mouth.

“Next time- promise,” she slight pouts at his words. “At least give me something work with tonight,” and she licks his lower lip.

“You drive me crazy, hon, if I didn’t have to go I swear-” he kisses her hard while he moves his hand to palm on her leg as he massages her inner thigh, he sneaks his fingers under the hem of her jean shorts without going any further.

“Frank,” she begs, “tell me,” as her panties get drenched with not even a graze of his finger tips.

Pressing his forehead against hers, he goes a bit deeper until he feels the edge of her underwear, “I’d kneel for you and take these with my mouth to taste you,” he huskily breathes on her lips as he dips his fingers under her panties, “-every part of you, next time I’m gonna suck so hard on that sweet cunt you have, you’ll melt in my mouth,” and he takes gives her a taste in her mouth, then she quivers grinding against his fingers.

“Promise?” she gasps.

“I promise.”

 

**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And he promised more...


End file.
